Gadget Bag: Wireless Tools For The Outdoor Photographer

Although photography is my medium of choice, I’ve always admired the simplicity of the painter's toolbox. Canvas, brushes and paint—it doesn’t get less complicated.

As photographers, we're increasingly burdened with an array of highly technical tools and the spaghetti system of wires that connect them. Digital photography has added even more cables to the tangle, and you might be feeling like the wires are closing in.

If necessity is the mother of invention, we suspect convenience to be its father. Recent advancements in wireless technology have improved and expanded the wireless options for photographers who work with flash, solving practical problems in the field for sophisticated lighting setups, but also making flash easier to use in less-demanding situations. New products have improved the reliability and range of wireless flash solutions and allowed the miniaturization of components to help lessen the load we carry in the field.

Wireless technology is also helping to cut the cords in the post-capture process. Wireless Fidelity, or WiFi, lets us build networks at home or in the studio, which offers many possibilities for more convenient photo storage, management and editing. More recently, camera and printer makers have begun to offer models with WiFi capability built in or available as an option, further reducing our umbilical dependencies.

Wireless Flash AndCamera ControlWhile not new in concept, wireless flash and camera triggers have come a long way in recent years. There are three basic types of wireless flash systems: optical, infrared and radio.

Optical triggers were the first and remain the most basic and affordable solution for wireless flash. A small sensor on the slave, or secondary flash unit, detects the firing of the master, or primary flash unit, that's typically connected to the camera body, either via a cable or hot-shoe. When the slave detects the master flash, it triggers simultaneously. Although generally reliable, optical triggers do have limitations. The slave flash must be close enough and angled appropriately to the master flash to detect when it fires, and bright sunlight or the flash of nearby photographers may cause problems.

Infrared systems have an advantage over other triggers in that two-way communication is possible between the master and slave units. This enables the camera and all flash units to work in harmony, and some systems are even capable of sharing exposure information and allowing you to adjust the output of slave devices from the camera, a feature unique to infrared thus far. Infrared allows greater working distances than optical triggers and is a more reliable solution in general. Like optical triggers, though, infrared requires line of sight between master and slave units for the system to work properly. Like the remote control for your television, the sensor only works within a limited range of degrees from center.

Radio triggers are the most reliable of the wireless control technologies. They don't require line of sight between master and slave units and can operate over far greater distances than optical and infrared devices. These solutions also allow you to fire your camera remotely—indispensable for photographing timid subjects such as nesting birds. Like all optical triggers and some infrared systems, however, you'll have to do your own metering calculations for each slave flash and make manual output adjustments. Radio systems also require carrying additional gear—unlike IR solutions built into the flash head, you'll need a transmitter for the camera and a receiver for each flash.

Wireless Flash SolutionsCanon Speedlite 580EX and 430EX flashes have IR wireless capabilities built in. Pair them with Canon EOS cameras for full E-TTL control. You can arrange an unlimited number of flash units in up to three groups for main, fill and background lighting effects with custom settings for each group. Attach either a Speedlite 580EX or the Speedlite Transmitter ST-E2 to your camera's hot-shoe to serve as the master control. Estimated Street Price: $389 (580EX); $279 (430EX).

Several of Nikon's flash offerings, including the SB-600 and SB-800 Speedlights, feature IR wireless i-TTL technology. The SB-800 functions as the master and can control up to three groups of as many SB-600 and SB-800 Speedlights as needed in each group. Most functions of the SB-600 can be controlled remotely by the master SB-800. Alternatively, photographers using the Nikon D70s and D50 digital SLRs can opt to use the camera's built-in Speedlight to control slave units. Estimated Street Price: $319 (SB-800); $189 (SB-600).

The Sigma Electronic Flash EF-500 DG Super is compatible with many of the most popular cameras' wireless flash systems, including models from Sigma, Canon, Nikon, Pentax and Konica Minolta. Estimated Street Price: $149.

The PocketWizard MultiMAX is unique because a single unit can serve as a transmitter or receiver at the flip of a switch. Control cameras and flash four groups from up to 1,600 feet away. Inter-valometer capability is built in for time-lapse work. Estimated Street Price: $295.

The MicroSync Digital from Tamrac is an amazingly small wireless solution for simple remote flash- and camera-triggering within a 100-foot range. You'll need adapter cables to connect the receiver to your flash. Four-channel operation protects against interference and misfires. Estimated Street Price: $299 (kit includes one transmitter and receiver; additional receivers retail for about $179).

Home NetworksThe desire to cut wires also has led to wireless technologies for computers and peripherals. Wireless home networks aren't only for übergeeks. For photographers who work with digital files, a wireless network at home or in the studio can make a lot of sense. It's a fast, easy way to share files between computers. You can untether yourself and your laptop from the desk and upload images to your Website from the comfort of your couch. WiFi networks can carry large quantities of data at very high speeds over distances of 100 feet or more. Creating a WiFi network is simple and you need minimal hardware to get started.

First, you need a wireless router, or hub. This is the base station that hosts connections between WiFi devices. Second, you'll need a wireless capability in each of the devices you want to connect. This is either built in or can be added with an aftermarket wireless card or other similar accessory. Most new laptops now include WiFi capability.

When you're comparing WiFi equipment, you'll encounter the IEEE 802.11x specification. Most new devices use IEEE 802.11b or 802.11g, so you can't go wrong with an 802.11b/g device, as it supports both of the most common protocols.

The difference between "b" and "g" is speed—"b" transfers data at speeds of up to 11 Mbits/sec. while "g" operates at about 54 Mbits/sec., which is roughly 1.4 and 6.8 Mbytes/sec., respectively. If you choose a wireless router with the "b/g" specification, you can connect the widest variety of devices and still take advantage of the faster speed with devices that support it.

The Apple AirPort Extreme WiFi router and wireless cards are compatible with 802.11b/g devices, and includes a USB port to which you can connect a printer for wireless printing from your laptop or remote desktop. Its robust control software makes network security a breeze. List Price: $199.

Netgear, Linksys and many other companies offer similar routers, wireless cards and USB adapters for desktop computers. Estimated street prices range from $49 to $199.

All notebook computers that carry the Intel Centrino designation are wireless-ready. If you're shopping for a new computer, built-in wireless is the way to go, and practically every manufacturer offers this as an option.

Wireless Cameras And PrintersWiFi capability also is finding its way into digital cameras and printers. The Nikon D2h was the first digital camera to introduce this feature as an option, primarily intended for sports photographers who could send images wirelessly from the field to a laptop in the press box, where images could then be forwarded to news agencies or publications for immediate use.

For the photographer in the field, there's a similar benefit. With a WiFi-enabled laptop and camera, you can move freely around your location, experimenting with different compositions, and have images transferred to your laptop for instant review and backup. Granted, this feature is more luxury than imperative need, but imagine not having to download hundreds of images at the end of the day—it's being done as you shoot!

Photo printers also are going wireless, with several models now available that let you make prints directly from your digital camera, without wires or a computer. Although you'll probably want to edit images in software before making your final prints, this feature is handy for making quick proofs of images for reference and review prior to editing them.

The Nikon WT-2A Wireless Transmitter lets you remotely control your Nikon D2x or D2hs camera via Nikon Capture software (version 4.2 or later). You also can use the transmitter to relay files from the camera to an FTP server. Estimated Street Price: $629.

For Canon shooters, the Wireless File Transmitter WFT-E1A is compatible with the EOS-1D Mark II n and EOS-1Ds Mark II. Two modes allow you to either automatically transfer images from the camera to an FTP server after each shot or upload them all after the shoot. Estimated Street Price: $999.

On the compact camera side, the new Nikon Coolpix P1 and P2 models have WiFi connectivity built in. Use that connection for fast wireless downloads or, if your computer is nearby, you can opt to transfer and save images directly to your computer, bypassing your camera's memory card. You also can print wirelessly to a PictBridge-compatible printer using an optional accessory available from Nikon. The 8-megapixel P1 retails for about $549; the 5-megapixel P2 goes for around $399.

If you don't opt for a wireless router with a connection for your printer, you can get a printer with WiFi built in. The Canon PIXMA iP5200R is one of Canon's top photo printers and features its ChromaLife 100 inks. The printer connects to your home WiFi network, eliminating one more USB cable from the tangle on your desktop. Estimated Street Price: $299.